4 - Group

Group

A week has passed. Gabriel managed to learn the skill: light steps and was no longer a complete amateur. Or rather, it was, but it came out of square one.

He just woke up and received ten silver coins, being "expelled" from the thieves' dormitory. Jake didn't want it at all, but stressed that it was so with everyone. Gabriel, however, didn't care so much, he knew it would be difficult to get a group together and he didn't want to work with anything else. Soon, he decided to try to fight alone.

With his ten silver coins, he bought two daggers cheaply, a bracelet and light armor. Even his instructor, Jake, having warned him not to wear anything but a bracelet, Gabriel thought he would be too exposed and as he wanted to start hunting alone, he decided it was better. In addition, buying the armor, the bracelet comes for free. But in fact, the dangerousness was just a pretext, he is in an internal conflict about whether or not he is a thief yet.

Maybe it's better this way.

This armor will help me a lot.

There was only one silver coin left. This is equivalent to about three days at an inn, apart from food.

If all goes well, I'll get at least one more silver coin.

It's a huge bet, but maybe I can do it.

Then, as soon as he left and bought his objects to hunt, he left the city. It was already afternoon, they only have one clock in the city center, and when he finished buying everything, it was 1:30 pm.

Outside Gabriel could not see anything that could have been from an ancient civilization, only forest.

Goblins are the weakest creatures, as always.

If I catch one alone using the light steps, I will surely kill.

He looked both ways before deciding where to go. There is a map about out of town, but it was not worth spending on it, he thought.

Gabriel is a little scared, he has never faced a monster before, he hadn't even seen it. Even after all this time, thinking that monsters from games or series exist scares you. Who wouldn't be scared? At least he was scared. How could he know if everything was going to be alright? There was no way. He couldn't be alive tomorrow. And worst of all, he knew it.

Gabriel left to the right because he had the impression of having more trees during his runs and thought he could be more stealthy like that.

Taking steps slowly, Gabriel was having trouble finding a goblin.

If I had known it was far, I would have come in more haste.

During the week he trained to be a thief, he got into the habit of walking around the city every morning, among other things. Jake told him that as long as he didn't go far, there would be no danger, so he wasn't one hundred percent blind, although it didn't help at all. He had not even thought of turning aside and going deeper, afraid, he hardly looked at the forest inside.

It had been about thirty minutes since he left town and nothing, but he knew he couldn't let his guard down. The plan was to kill without even having to fight, if he failed, one versus one was still viable but if he finds goblins in a group it is impossible for him to win, and he knows it

With ten more minutes, Gabriel finally found a prey. A goblin sleeping alone against one of the trees. He activated light steps. He just needed to take a deep breath and focus on his entire body to function. Then he went towards the goblin, more afraid than he wants to admit to himself.

Wuahh they really exist.

I knew, but anyway, it's hard to imagine.

He's green and awful. I've never seen anything so ugly before.

How horrible.

When Gabriel approached, noticing the grotesque appearance of a monster for the first time. Honestly he was afraid to look and be afraid, so he avoided contact, despite being equally afraid. Then, he raised his hand with one of the daggers to stab the monster.

A thief... Now. Time to use my father's blood.

TAKE THAT!

He failed. When he did, the goblin grabbed his hand and climbed onto his back.

What the hell?

How did he wake up?

He's very fast, what is that?

But still the goblin was unarmed, when he failed to steal Gabriel's weapon, he let out a monster-worthy cry, horrible to hear, and quite loud.

— Shut up, your piece of...

Before Gabriel could finish, the goblin left his back, letting go of his arm. But that did not mean easy. The goblin quickly punched the back of his knee, knocking him over, came around to his front and punched him in the belly before he could recover.

— Yuhhhh!

Twitching in pain, Gabriel managed to get up and tried to hit the goblin with the knife, but missed the goblin, his heart was racing, desperate. In the counterattack the goblin threw the dagger away, and this time punched Gabriel in the face, who was close to losing consciousness. He was freaking out, but he knew from the beginning that he couldn't freak out, that there was no time for it.

They are constantly saying not to go crazy.

So, I won't go. I'm going to defeat this guy here and prove that I'm fine, I'm perfectly normal.

All he could do at that moment was to lie to himself and not give up. The goblin's punches were frequent, Gabriel defended with his arms but could not find a breach.

He doesn't know that I have another dagger, I can use that to my advantage- he thought that, proudly.

And it really worked, Gabriel grabbed one of the punches, pulling the goblin to keep his back to him, took a quick turn and while holding the goblin with one hand, he took the dagger with the other and tried to hit him in the back, in a hurry, unable to act properly, he ended up hitting only the shoulder.

Damn it. But now I have an advantage, just don't hesitate.

Finalization only.

The goblin now has only one arm to use, Gabriel has gained confidence. His blood was on fire, wanting to fight the goblin. Wanting to win and kill him, he told to himself. But then, why did his whole body shake? It certainly wasn't in pain. Fear. He was terrified of the situation, with a monster, with having to kill a monster, with a thousand other factors that were surfacing in his head. Could he keep fighting like that? He couldn't think of the answer to that. No matter the answer, he had to try.

Then the goblin let out another roar, just like the previous one, for a moment Gabriel was startled. But nothing happened, until he went on the goblin. Two more goblins came out of the trees. They jumped on Gabriel who had his guard down and about to hit the goblin from before. Dropped to the ground, the three goblins started kicking him. He knows that if he tries to react, they will just stab him, soon they start laughing. And they were finally going to slaughter him.

Fuck, is there anything I can do?

My muscles hurt.

I can't move. I'm scared, damn it!

I should have waited. I should have found a job.

Maybe it's better this way, I lost everything after all.

I wish I had at least killed the 1st goblin. - he started to enumerate them

I thought at least you would help me with that...

— wuaaaaaaaaa!

Gabriel let out a cry of despair as he held the normal expression on his face, so as not to give his enemies a taste of his fear, well he tried. But the pain was greater. The 1st goblin kicked his belly again, and took Gabriel's dagger to kill him. But when the goblin's hand was already going down, an arrow hit him. Gabriel kept his eyes closed and didn't see, surprised that it hadn't been hit. He opened them and looked around. A man, tall and strong, in very heavy armor, came running and pushed the other two goblins off Gabriel, moving his sword without aiming.

— Uhriaaaa! — He shouted.

What is he going to do? It's still a three against one. You have no chance of being able to help me.

Without much delay, two more people appeared, making the thought of Gabriel be considered a total mistake.

Oh, yes, the arrow in the hand of the 1st goblin.

Out of the bushes, a girl with a bow and arrow appeared, along with a girl with a magic cube.

— Take that! — she shot another arrow, the 2nd goblin dodged, but hit the shoulder of the 1st goblin who was behind him, struggling with the other arrow, on the same shoulder Gabriel had hit him with.

Uh, that hurt. Now he's definitely not going to use that anymore.

— Ush!

The magician unleashed some kind of magic on the 3rd goblin, she was already making some weird whispers when she got there. And the same failed to divert. There was no way. It was a kind of invisible projectile. It took his leg, twisting it. A horrible scene to see when you're not used to it. The 1st and 3rd goblin were screaming, the 3rd could no longer fight, he could not stand. But the 1st and 2nd were trying to shoot down the tall man in armor, but it didn't look like they were going to make it. The 1st goblin was already desperate because of his injuries, and the 2nd alone was practically not going to make it. Even more with a wizard and a hunter on the flank.

In the chaos, Gabriel managed to crawl away and was leaning against a tree watching everything. The 2nd goblin even tried to go to him while the 1st held the man in armor, but every time he tried, the hunter shot an arrow at his foot.

They already win, I'm just going to ... get some rest.

Gabriel closed his eyes slowly, and the hunter ran over to him, but it didn't help much that all he affected was him listening:

— Hey, don't close your eyes! Are you hearing me? Don't close them!

Before going to sleep, when Gabriel heard this, he remembered Ana telling him not to sleep.

If only you were here ...

Although almost unconscious, he was certainly very saddened by this.

Opening his eyes slowly, Gabriel came across the room in which he had spent the whole week, the thieves' dormitory.

Oh yeah, that happened.

That, was that he couldn't manage and almost died for simple goblins. It was no surprise, it was a possibility. But one that could have been avoided.

After all, how did the goblin hear me?

I'm not perfect at taking light steps but I'm certainly not that bad.

Well, since I'm here, I can ask Jake.

Getting up, Gabriel left the dorm and headed for the main hall. There, the three people who saved him were talking to his tutor. The hunter looked serious, she leads the conversation while Jake listens carefully and the mage and the tank just look. As they approach, they stop talking and Jake calls him:

— Hey, kid. Couldn't you get out from under my wing for so little time

— I had full possibilities to ...

Gabriel tried to explain himself, started to move his hands to argue, but Jake interrupted him, and said:

— Possibility to kill three goblins? I don't think so. Larissa was telling me what happened, you against three goblins. Alone.

— It was just one! I approached him with light steps and even then he heard me. He gave a shout and two more appeared, if it were not for that reason I would kill him and leave quietly.

— Dude, even a deaf person would wake up with this armor of yours. Light steps is not 100% successful, you have not fully mastered it, and it does not work when you wear this type of armor, even though it is light. I warned you that you were not a warrior, if you insist so much, I can recommend some leather meshes, but no armor, understood?

Jake gave the chest piece Gabriel some light pats.

Well, what did he expect? That I go alone without armor to kill some goblins?

Although maybe he didn't expect me to kill goblins, even more alone.

Anyway this mesh can help me better from now on, I will get it.

— Okay.

Gabriel waved a hand.

— Gabriel?

The hunter, Larissa, called him.

— Hello?

He was confused, Jake could have told his name, but the way she called him was strange. Gabriel felt it would be serious. And she looked very serious, just like before.

She touched his face with her right hand, moving smoothly. He freaked out a little, but was silent to see how far she would go.

What's up with that girl? Did it got crazy?

I know I'm not that cute, but it could be that ...

— You don't remember me?

— You?

He put his index finger to his lips and thumb on his chin and thought for a moment.

Larissa? Larissa? Larissa!

Oh God! And me thinking that she wanted something with me.

— My God, is it you?

— Yeah, how long, huh?

— It was a few weeks for me, you know.

— Ah, really. I've been here for about three years, but I only started out hunting a few months ago, we don't exactly have a calendar here. That's why you didn't recognize me. Oh, and my hair too.

They were both seventeen before the blackout. Gabriel and all his friends were in their third year, some still sixteen, but most seventeen. Now Larissa was probably twenty, while Gabriel is still seventeen.

— Yes, yes, you cut your hair, from what I see. And it has a more mature air around you. I could have noticed you know, after all, it was only three years, but I believe that with everything that is going through my head these days I didn't notice.

He pointed to the points he quoted while talking about.

No, I never would have thought it was her, she was quiet and a little lonely, her hair was a ponytail. It's like it's someone else.

— I understand perfectly, I just don't understand why you went out hunting alone a week after arriving here, gave up living?

Larissa raised her hands in doubt.

— Of course not! I just didn't want to wait, and I don't have the skills to work on anything else here.

Gabriel was annoyed by the seriousness of her question and ended up overdoing it. But as soon as he finished speaking, he flinched.

While the two talked, Larissa's two other friends were jaw-dropping at the interaction between the two. Jake did not seem surprised, due to his experience he had seen facts like this before.

— So, how about we recruit him for the group?

The tank interrupted their frantic conversation with a suggestion that was not very well accepted. At least not by some. One. The girl.

— But he is a thief! How do we know if it is reliable?

The magician girl questioned, with the expected prejudice.

— It may be a good idea, few groups have one due to prejudice, and he is an acquaintance of mine before the blackout. It is reliable without a doubt. We need a warrior and a thief to close the group, we get one. But a thief, huh? There's something on the tip of my tongue about it that I can't quite figure out.

Larissa looked at him suspiciously.

However, I'm honestly not in the mood to join.

But I believe that there is no other choice, today I have to enter.

Staring at me with that judgmental look trying to remember something that has nothing to do with me doesn't help, I hope you don't remember.

— I will not steal or hurt anyone, I just want to live and hunt some monsters. I just got here, I was a student.

— Don't worry, I trained him, Gabriel doesn't have a bad heart.

Jake took his shoulder.

— Tsch, fine then, but don't think you have my confidence.

The mage agreed, grumbling.

— It's closed then. Come on, we have a dorm.

Gabriel followed Larissa and her companions to a dormitory, the school where Gabriel saw someone enter the other night. Apparently, groups have the privilege of having such a dorm for free, however, they are not very attractive.

His part is at the end of the building, slightly away from the rest. They have two bedrooms, each with four beds.

Eight beds in total?

There are five classes, do they have groups that use eight members?

Maybe I'll ask Larissa that later.

They could also use their own bathroom, and there is a place to wash their clothes. The kitchen they improvised outside with a fire and pots.

As soon as Larissa showed him everything, they went outside, where there was a bench, the tank and the magician were sitting talking and the two joined them.

— So, what are your names?

Gabriel sat down already talking. While the magician started to get uncomfortable.

— Miguel.

— La...

— What? I didn't understand, you spoke very low.

She didn't want to speak, so she spoke softly. But in innocence, Gabriel didn't notice and insisted. At some point she would have to speak, the two were in the same group now, after all.

— My name is Laura.

— Nice to meet you, Miguel and Laura. As you already know, I'm Gabriel.

With little interaction because of Laura's intolerance, everyone went to sleep early. Because they found Gabriel in critical condition, they did not hunt the rest of the day, they had to return at 3:30 pm.

the next day they agreed to wake up early to wash their clothes and go hunting. And Gabriel will have to sell his armor, and buy a leather mesh, because of his injuries he would not fight with them that day, Laura can heal, but even that has limits. She doesn't recover the lost blood and to heal everything she needs to cast several times, she can't use so much magic followed.